Vessel for handling corrosive fluids



Oct. 17, 1950 FERGUSQN 2,526,463

VESSEL FOR HANDLING CORROSIVE FLUIDS Filed Dec. 23, 1947 24 B3 PLUG sunl8 LEAD Lmmo i? mum: H 1

\AA I H G a 23 4 A LEM Lmma 2O E as ( /Y/ lg YT l6 Patented Oct. 17,1950 VESSEL FOR I IANDLING CORROSI VE FLUIDS Frank A. Ferguson, Baytown,Tex., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Standard Oil Development Company, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1947, Serial No.793,540

4 Claims.

The present invention is directed to an improved valve assembly and toan improved vess'el adapted for handling corrosive fluids. Moreparticularly, the invention is directed to an improved vessel having ametallic corrosion resistant lining and provided with a readilyreplaceable valve assembly. The invention is further directed to areadily replaceable valve assembly adapted to be used in corrosionresistant vessels.

In the petroleum industry, vast amounts of sulfuric and other corrosiveacids are employed in processing operations. For example, in thetreating of naphtha and lubricating oil, in order to provide a stableproduct, it is often necessary to treat petroleum fractions with varyingamounts of sulfuric acid to produce a product of desired quality. Thequantities of sulfuric acid handled make it imperative that the usedacid be recovered for reuse in the refining operations. Many refineries,therefore, recover from the acid sludges, resulting from the acidtreatment of petroleum, the sulfuric acid contained therein. In therecovery of sulfuric acid, it is conventional practice to dilute thecontaminated acid or sludges with water and then heat the dilute sludgewith open steam to about 225 F. to effect an easy separation between thesulfuric acid and the organic contaminants.

It is a well known fact that weak sulfuric acid is a very corrosiveliquid and it is, therefore, necessary to provide processing vesselswhich resist the corrosive tendency of the sulfuric acid. One method ofproviding vessels for handling the corrosive acid is to line steel tanksor kettles with lead. The conventional method of lining tanks with leadis to cover the interior surface with a sheetor sheets of lead toconform to the configuration of the vessel being lined by burning leadsheets of various sizes together. The lead is held against the wall ofthe vessel by means of bolts located at spaced intervals which penetratethe lead and the shell of the vessel and are in themselves protected byproviding sheets of lead over the bolts.

The vessels employed in handling corrosive fluids such as weak sulfuricacid usually have a bottom portion which includes a conical shapedstructure. This conical portion of the vessel usually comprises anoutlet which includes a conventional to line vessels with lead and thento provide an internal lining over the lead lining such as a ceramiclining as illustrated by brick work which is resistant to corrosivefluids such as sulfuric acid. The purpose of providing a ceramic liningsuch as brick work is to insulate the lead lining against the relativelyhigh temperatures employed in processing weak sulfuric acid. If thebrick lining were not employed, the high temperatures employed incontact with the lead lining would result in the lead becoming distorteddue to expansion. The mechanical work put into the lead lining by theeffect of the high temperatures and the resulting expansion cause thelead to become cracked and distorted and to pull away from therestraining members such as bolts which attach it to the shell of thevessel.

. It has also been customary to attach the plug seat of the outlet valvedirectly to the lead lining and then to apply the lining of ceramicmaterial such as brick work over the lead lining adjacent the plug seatwhich is attached to. the lead lining. During commercial operation ofhandling sulfuric acid at temperatures of from approximately 225 to 240F., the impact of the valve plug against the plug seat and the effect ofthe high temperatures requires replacement of the plug seat after aboutfour months operation. It will be readily seen that when the plug seatsare attached directly to the lead lining it is necessary to remove asubstantial amount of the brick work to replace a plug seat. Thisresults in a considerable amount of time required for removing the brickwork, burning off the plug seat from the lead lining, replacing the plugseat and then relaying the brick work. When this is done the brick work,which has been removed, is unsuitable for reuse because of its conditionfrom exposure to the corrosive fluid, such as weak sulfuric acid. It isimpractical to re-cement brick work which has been exposed to corrosivesulfuric acid solutions. It will thus be seen that/ a serious economicloss is suffered in operating time and by loss in constructionalmaterials.

The present invention is directed to an improved method for installing aplug seat in a lined vessel such that the installation may be made in amanner that the ceramic lining. for example, brick work, will not bedisturbed anti the plug seat may be easily replaced without removing thebrick work and without requiring a burning operation in the vessel.

In accordance with. the present invention, a lead liner is installed ina vessel in the usual manner with the lead lining being brought out ofthe vessel through the outlet and lapped over a' flange of the outlet. Aceramic lining, such as a layer of brick, is laid directly on to thelead lining. The lead lining is then extended upward from the outlet andlapped over the brick work for a distance of approximately'two feet overthe brick work adjacent the outlet. The valve plug seat is then placed,without burning to the extended lining, onto the lapped-over section ofthe lining extending over the brick work and rests directly on theextended lining which, in turn, extends over the brick work. A separatesheet of lead in the form of a sleeve is then burned onto the valve plugseat adjacent the outlet and is brought down through the outlet andextended over the flange. This burning operation may be done outside ofthe vessel. It will thus be seen that in accordance with the presentinvention the valve plug seat rests on an extension of the lead liningand is attached only by means of its extension sleeve which has itslower end flared outwardly so that it is bolted to the flange.Accordingly, the valve plug assembly may be placed in position bypassing the extension sleeve through the outlet until the valve plugseat rests on the lining and then flaring the lower end of the extensionsleeve outwardly so that it may be bolted to the flange. Similarly, thevalve plug seat may be removed by removing the bolts from the flange,bending the lower end of the extension sleeve inwardly so that it willpass through the bly out of the vessel.

The present invention may be adapted to lining various types of vesselsrequiring an o tlet valve with a plug seat. It may be employe in conicalshaped vessels such as kettles and the like. It may also be employed invessels having a curved or flat surface adjacent the outlet.

The present invention will be further illustrated by reference to thedrawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a preferredembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the plug seat showing the arrangement in thevessel; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the plug seat showing its relation to the lining.

Referring now to the drawing and specifically to Fig. 1, numeral l Idesignates the shell of a tank or a kettle and numeral 82 is a leadlining whose outer surface bears against shell H. A lining of ceramicware, such as brick work i3, rests directoutlet and then simply liftingthe valve assemly on the inner surface of lining l2. The sheet of leadI2 extends downwardly through an outlet i4 and is carri through outletIt to flange l5 which allows a seal o the lead lining. The lining I 2 isextended upward and around the brick lining l3 by extension l6 and islapped over the brick lining as shown b numeral I! for a distance ofapproximately two feet. A plug seat I8 is placed onto the'extension I I.There is then attached firmly to the plug seat ill by burning to theplug seat l8 a sleeve of lead IS in the form of a cylinder or in anyother form to conform to the shape of outlet M, which is carried downthrough the outlet I4 and lapped over the flange I 5 similar to thelining l2 and the inner surface of sleeve I9 bears directly on the outersurface of lining l2. Sleeve I9 is attached to seat l8 by ring I911.Outlet M has connected to it by flange I5 a pipe 20 which has attachedto it a flange 2i. Pipe 20 is also lined with lead similar to outlet I4. The lining of pipe 20 is designated by numeral 22. This lead liningis also carried over the flange 2|. Flanges II and 2| may be connectedthrough bolts 23.

The valve plug 24 seats in the plug seatdi. Valve plug 24 is raised orlowered through valve stem 25 which may be actuated from the exterior ofthe tank or kettle ll through a, lever arrangement or by other suitabledevices.

It will thus be seen that in accordance with the present invention thevalve plug seat l8 rests on the brick lining I3 with the lower end ofsleeve 19 flared outwardly and secured between flanges I 5 and 2|.Accordingly, the valve plug seat l8 may be removed from the vessel byremoving bolts 23, separating flanges l5 and 2| and bending thelower endof sleeve l9 inwardly so that the sleeve may be passed through outletthereby allowing the removal of the assembly. Similarly, the assemblymay be placed in position merely by passing the sleeve l9 down throughthe outlet 14 until the valve plug seatrests on extension I! whereuponthe lower end of sleeve I 9 may be flared outwardly so that it extendsbetween and is in contact with flanges l5 and 2|. If necessary, openingsmay be made through this flared end'to allow bolts 23 to passtherethrough when securing flange 2| to flange [5. It will be apparentto a worker skilled in the art that-a plug seat assembly may be removedor replaced as desired without disturbing the brick lining l3. 7

In a specific embodiment in accordance with the present invention, akettle having a capacity of 1875 barrels of sulfuric acid was lined withlead similar to the embodiment described in conjunction with thedrawing. A brick lining was laid over the lead lining and the leadlining was then carried down through an outlet simi lar to outlet I 4and also extended u/pward over the brick lining. A plug seat was placedon the extension equivalent to extension I! and a sleeve similar tosleeve l9 was burned to the plug seat 18 and carried down through theoutlet M as has been described.

The valve plug after several months of operation caused distortion ofthe plug seat and required replacement of the latter. In accordance withthe device of the present invention, this was done by removing thebolts, equivalent to bolts 23 in the drawing. A new plug seat was thenplaced on the extension I! with a sleeve which was carried down throughthe outlet M as described in conjunction with the drawing. The timerequired to replace the plug seat was approximately 2.0% of thatrequired prior to the present invention; for .example, the plug seat maynow be replaced in 30 minutes, whereas, prior to the present invention,24 hours, or more, were often required for brick lined vessels handlingcorrosive fluids. Furthermore, it was unnecessary to disturb the bricklining of the vessel.

It will be apparent to the skilled worker that the extensions I6 and I!may be easily areplaced also without distunbing the brick lining and insome instances it may be preferred to replace extensions l6 and I! whennew plug seats are to be installed.

It will be further apparent that this may be accomplished withoutdifficulty.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been fullydescribed and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and tosecure by Letters Patent is: V 1. A vessel adapted for handlingcorrosive fluids which comprises, in combination, an outer shelldefining an outlet terminating in a flange, a lead liner arranged withinthe shell with its outer surface in contact with the "irmer surface ofthe shell, a ceramic lining arranged within the vessel with its outersurface in contact with the inner surface of the lead liner, a leadextension member secured to the lead liner extending through said outletof the shell and flared outwardly in contact with the flange of saidoutlet and also extending over the ceramic lining adjacent the outlet todefine a shoulder on said ceramic lining with a diameter greater thanthat of the outlet, a valve seat member in said vessel arranged to reston said shoulder, a lead sleeve secured to the valve seat and extendingthrough said extension member below the flange of the outlet and flaredoutwardly in contact with the portion of the extension member adjacentsaid flange.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 including a plug valve elementwithin the vessel engageable with the seat and making a fluid tight sealtherewith when so engaged,

3. A vessel adapted for handling corrosive liquids which comprises anouter metallic shell, an inner lead liner arranged with its outersurface bearing against the inner surface of the shell, an outlet fromsaid vessel, a ceramic lining whose outer surface bears directly againstthe inner surface of said lead liner, a lead extension to said leadliner extending through said outlet and also extending over said ceramiclining for a distance suflicient to provide a shoulder, said shoulderhaving a diameter greater shell, an outlet from said vessel, a ceramiclining whose outer surface bears directly against the inner surface ofsaid lead liner, an extension to said lead liner extending through saidoutlet and also extending over said ceramic lining for a distancesuflicient to provide a shoulder, said shoulder having a diametergreater than the diameter of said outlet, a valve seat resting on saidshoulder, a plug engageable with said seat and adapted to be raised orlowered, a

lead sleeve attached to said valve seat and extending through saidoutlet, and a flange on said outlet arranged for lapping said lining andsaid sleeve FRANK A. FERGUSON.

REFERENCES crrEn The following references are or record in the flle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name a Date 1,366,170 De Jahn i Jan. 18,1921 1,899,413 Fritz Feb. 28.1933

2,054,587 Newhaus Sept. 15, 1936

